Friday, August 31, 2012

I spy... a new mythological creature in YA?!?

Valkyrie RisingValkyrie Rising
By: Ingrid Paulson
Reported by: Julianna Helms
Source: ARC via Tour
Release date: Oct. 9th, 2012 from HarperTeen

Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.

What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.

Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.


-Summary from Goodreads
Pre-order: Mrs. Nelson's* (support indie bookstores!) || Barnes & Noble || Amazon || Book Depository

Quick, quick! Grab your reins and your deer--we've got an original mythological creature in La Ville de YA!

Okay--seriously though. Even as I didn't fully enjoy Valkyrie Rising, I have to admit that it's got some fantastic mythology and setting that we very rarely see in a market as crowded as YA. I can go on and on about why I think that is, but then this would not be a review but rather a rant of utter pointlessness, so let's just skip right to the good stuff, yeah?

The two biggest points Valkyrie Rising has going for it is its mythology and setting. But let's save the praises for last, because unfortunately, this book did not claim me an infatuated fangirl overall.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Authors are Rockstars Tour Stop: Chloe Jacobs!




Welcome to my stop on The amazingly AWESOME Authors are Rockstars August 2012 Tour! Today, I have the absolute honor of representing District- I'm sorry, the commending "welcome" threw me off-track (or should I say off-tour? Ha... ha?). All kidding aside, though, GUESS WHAT? I'm hosting the amazing 

CHLOE JACOBS

today! Chloe is the author of the upcoming Greta and the Goblin King. Even though I haven't read it yet, I can already tell Chloe is a rockstar because

1) the guest post the sent me was just made of awesome,
2) she's giving away a special little something for this stop! How nice is that?
3) Who doesn't love goblins? And to write an entire book about them! *stutters* I think that's too much awesome for my soul.

When I got the news that I was to host Chloe on this tour, you can imagine that I was excited! I knew I wanted to ask Chloe for a guest post, but there are so many topics out there--and many cliché, over-done ones, too, that I knew I wouldn't want to do--that it really got me thinking. In the end, I decided to go with this topic: 

What do you think makes or break a book? So many good books are out there today, and agents, editors, and reviewers alike have talked about what they think separates amazing from good, or great. What do you think on the subject and how does that influence your writing and choices?

Chloe graciously replied with a fascinating and intriguing post. Read it after the jump!

Cover Reveal: THE STARS FELL SIDEWAYS


I know what you're thinking--another cover reveal, Juli? But you know what? This one's another great one, and I have a feeling that if you like theatre and awesome, you'll LOVE this one! :D

Before I show you the cover and synopsis of The Stars Fell Sideways by Cassandra Marshall, I think I should mention that, why yes, there is a giveaway. :) Cassandra Marshall is giving away a signed pre-order of The Stars Fell Sideways! To enter and see the fantastic cover, just click on the jump! (Of course, if you're already viewing this post past the jump or in the actual full post glory, then you ignore that last comment.) (Does that even make sense? O.O)

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

THE LOST GIRL is out (among other titles)!

August 28th, 2012 is a VERY important date, everyone! You remember how on May 1st this year, Insurgent, Shine, AND Bitterblue came out? Yeah, that was crazy. Well, today's pretty much May 1st all over again. Starting with The Lost Girl, of course.

The Lost Girl
By: Sangu Mandanna
Release Date: August 28th, 2012 from Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins

Eva’s life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination—an echo. Made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, she is expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her “other”, if she ever died. Eva studies what Amarra does, what she eats, what it’s like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.

But fifteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything she’s ever known—the guardians who raised her, the boy she’s forbidden to love—to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive.

What Eva finds is a grief-stricken family; parents unsure how to handle this echo they thought they wanted; and Ray, who knew every detail, every contour of Amarra. And when Eva is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose: Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To be Eva.

From debut novelist Sangu Mandanna comes the dazzling story of a girl who was always told what she had to be—until she found the strength to decide for herself.


-Summary from Goodreads
Purchase: Mrs. Nelson's* (support indie stores!) || Barnes & Noble || Amazon || The Book Depository

If you visit my blog semi-often, you've probably seen my review for The Lost Girl. Really, it's more of a rant about how spectacular and amazing this book is, but let's just keep that between us, shall we?

You know how there are all these different types of instruments, how they're all so different and powerful and how, when they all clash together, the noises and sounds merge into this tinkling, spine-chilling sound? Imagine those instruments as essential parts of a book. The piano is the plot, the characters the violin. The flute is the emotional depth and the drums the pacing. These all sound beautiful on their own, but often the drums and the flutes clamor or the piano and violin are out of sync and the end product, though delightful, feels often... insubstantial. As if there's something missing and it's incomplete even though all the needed plot elements are there.

The Lost Girl is the song that meshes everything together and emerges with a masterpiece--one deserving waterfalls of tears and thousands of standing ovations. It's the arrow that snags you right in the heart. It's the poison you swallow with love. It's the air you breathe when you're desperate and a raging mess.

So yes, today, The Lost Girl releases. And my blog post is basically telling you to GO BUY IT. I've included links above, so really, you should have no excuses not to read this book. ;) Even if you're on a tight money schedule (which I totally understand), you can always go the library, borrow it from a friend, get it cheaper on your e-reader, etc.

And if you're still hesitant? Just read on to see how awesome Sangu Mandanna--the author--is!

Monday, August 27, 2012

Cover Reveal: NATURALS by Tiffany Truitt



Hey everyone! I'm so excited to share with you the cover for Tiffany Truitt's Naturals today, the sequel to her first book, Chosen Ones. The covers for these books are *beautiful*, and I can't wait for you to see them! :)

Saturday, August 25, 2012

CURSED--and why sometimes disappointment is a synonym for unoriginal

Cursed
By: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Reported by: Julianna Helms
Source: ARC via tour
Release Date: September 18th, 2012 via Spencer Hill Press

Dying sucks--and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows.

Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he’s a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she’s more than interested. There’s just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she’s willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't?

But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not've been an accident at all, she’s not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time.


-Summary from Goodreads
Pre-order: Mrs. Nelson's* (indie stores FTW) || Barnes & Noble || Amazon || Book Depository


If you are a frequent reader of book blogs, you're probably more-than-familiar with Jennifer L. Armentrout. She wrote the Covenant and Obsidian series, both of which are quite the hit, especially among bloggers. So I would like to preface this review with a giant sign:

THIS IS NOT A POSITIVE REVIEW. IT'S ALSO SEMI-LONG. READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Awesome. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's continue, shall we?

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday {31}

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. Basically, it highlights the book(s) I'm most anxiously anticipating this week.

Speaking of which, my pick this time around is...


Monday, August 20, 2012

Cover Reveal: CONJURE by Lea Nolan


Cover reveals are AWESOME. And you know what else is awesome? PIRATE STORIES. You know what's the best thing of all? Cover reveals for a pirate story.

Okay, yeah, that was pretty cliché of an introduction. *le sigh* Forgive me, I'm a bit out of practice.

So, before I reveal to you the fantastic cover of Conjure by Lea Nolan, coming from the ever-so-great Entangled Publishing, here is the synopsis!

Be careful what you search for…

Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry--hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.

When a strange girl appears, bent on revenge; demon dogs become a threat; and Jack turns into a walking skeleton; Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before summer—and her friends--are lost forever.

-Summary provided by Publisher
Pre-order: Barnes & Noble || Amazon

And behold... the cover!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Sweet Hope Cover Design Entry

Cover design, oh, cover design.

For those of you who know me--or, at least, kind of know me--you know I love designing. In fact, I love it so much that I made a business out of it. 'Cause, yanno. Do what you love, right?

So when I saw that the amazing Bewitched Bookworms (beautiful blog, btw) had a contest going on where the winner gets to have their own character in Sweet Hope, the sequel to the awesome Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins, I was like: YESH! SIGN ME UP!

Basically, I had to create a cover of Sweet Hope. And soon, it will be time to vote. So, if you don't mind, when the time comes, I hope you'll vote for mine! :)

Without further ado, here it is, my cover of Sweet Hope...

click on it for larger resolution
My vision: First off, you can see that I designed this in the way a complete paperback cover would look like. Cover, spine, back cover, etc. If I could, I would've included Wendy's bio on the back of the last page, but since there is no last page... Anyway! :) So if you can see, there are two pictures of Kaidan in Anna's figure. Those pictures, along with the butterfly, symbol memories and hope. The front cover is also very soft and delicate because, yanno, it's sweet hope. Lastly--and I have no idea if you can see this if you don't enlarge the picture--there are a few falling feathers to represent... you know.. fallen angels. ;)

I used some stock photos to piece together this design, all of which are referenced and credited on the back cover.

So yeah! If you like it, vote when the time comes, yeah? I have a feeling I'll need your help soon. :)
The Reviews News

Friday, August 17, 2012

The Lost Girl

The Lost Girl
By: Sangu Mandanna
Reported by: Julianna Helms
Source: ARC from ALA
Release Date: August 28th, 2012 from Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins

Eva’s life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination—an echo. Made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, she is expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her “other”, if she ever died. Eva studies what Amarra does, what she eats, what it’s like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.

But fifteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything she’s ever known—the guardians who raised her, the boy she’s forbidden to love—to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive.

What Eva finds is a grief-stricken family; parents unsure how to handle this echo they thought they wanted; and Ray, who knew every detail, every contour of Amarra. And when Eva is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose: Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To be Eva.

From debut novelist Sangu Mandanna comes the dazzling story of a girl who was always told what she had to be—until she found the strength to decide for herself.


-Summary from Goodreads
Pre-order: Mrs. Nelson's* (support indie stores!) || Barnes & Noble || Amazon || The Book Depository

You see reviews all over the place and they usually start with some tagline among the lines of "The Lost Girl was a disturbingly beautiful, unconditionally sorrowful, and fascinating story weaved (pun intended) with threads of the strongest characters and most tragic flaws."

Then the review continues, discussing voice, character, plot, pacing, what worked and what didn't work for the reviewer, etc. I do this all the time. We bloggers do this because it's the way a review is written, right? You review by letting the readers know what to expect and when to hang on; who they can anticipate they'll love and just how many tissues they need to prepare beforehand.

For the first time in my over-a-year blogging experience, I am at a loss for words.

I'm staring at this seemingly pointless page of review and I just don't even know anymore. I can't describe it. There's no way to transcribe the immensely emotional and staggeringly heart-breaking idea and soul behind The Lost Girl. I can't talk about the boy, the girl, the story--I can't even think about it without succumbing to the verge of crying.

This book... Well, let me put it this way:

You know how there are all these different types of instruments, how they're all so different and powerful and how, when they all clash together, the noises and sounds merge into this tinkling, spine-chilling sound? Imagine those instruments as essential parts of a book. The piano is the plot, the characters the violin. The flute is the emotional depth and the drums the pacing. These all sound beautiful on their own, but often the drums and the flutes clamor or the piano and violin are out of sync and the end product, though delightful, feels often... insubstantial. As if there's something missing and it's incomplete even though all the needed plot elements are there.

The Lost Girl is the song that meshes everything together and emerges with a masterpiece--one deserving waterfalls of tears and thousands of standing ovations. It's the arrow that snags you right in the heart. It's the poison you swallow with love. It's the air you breathe when you're desperate and a raging mess.

It's just... so hard to review this wide, haunting vision. I feel like I'll just rant on and on and I won't ever say anything remotely meaningful because The Lost Girl is indescribable. It's the feeling of a million contradictions flying at you and, in the end, it somehow makes sense. It makes sense out of the nonsense and it makes music out of the imperfect.

By no means is anything perfect, but The Lost Girl wins a medal for being one of the closest books to ever achieve it.

Maybe you'll hate it, maybe you'll love it. But no matter what, there's one thing I can guarantee:

You will feel. This book will yank out all of your emotions and smear them side by side so that when you finally finish it, you will feel.

And that's an entire masterpiece in itself.
starred review
*Due to the new FTC rules, I would like to mention that I am in part of an affiliate program with Mrs. Nelson's. However, I have been posting links to the indie bookstore long before I became an affiliate, and thus I'm not posting such links for the sole purpose of potential monetary retribution. I am not involved in any other affiliate programs.

The Reviews News

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday {30}

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine with the creator being Jill of the aforementioned blog. It highlights a book (or more) that you're excited to read that hasn't yet been released.

This week, I'm waiting on...

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Nominate me?

Hey everybody! What's up? So there is this Bloggy Awards ceremony going on, kind of like the Oscars--except for bloggers, of course. I wanted to take this time and ask that if you like/enjoy my blog for whatever reason to consider nominating me. You obviously don't have to, but if you do, know that you have my deepest thanks!

Here are the categories you can nominate me in:
  • Well-known blogger
  • Best design
  • Best reviews
  • Most helpful
  • Best breakout blog (Best new blog, meaning within six months)
  • Best review for a contemporary book (For this, if you nominate somebody leave a link to their review)
  • Best review for a paranormal book (For this, if you nominate somebody leave a link to their review)
  • Best review for a dystopian book (For this, if you nominate somebody leave a link to their review)
  • Best review for a sci-fi book (For this, if you nominate somebody leave a link to their review)
  • Best review for a fantasy book (For this, if you nominate somebody leave a link to their review)
  • Best meme
  • Nicest blogger
  • Most creative blogger
  • Hottest blog (best content: I just got tired of constantly saying "Best" and "Most")
  • Best group blog
  • Most influential
  • Best author blog
  • Promo Queen 
  • Best tour group blog 
So that's it! All you have to do is email bloggyawards@gmail.com and list up to three nominations within each category. You can find more details here.

The nominations end at 8/13/2012, so if you do plan on nominating, now's the time! :)

Thank you all so much again.

Xoxo-
The Reviews News

Awesomeness on the March

Monsters on the March (Scary School, #2)Scary School: Monsters on the March
By: Derek the Ghost
Reported by: Roark and Julianna Helms
Source: the AWESOME publisher, HarperCollins
Release Date: Out now!

As winners of last year's Ghoul Games, the students of Scary School are off to Monster Forest. School may be scary, but the forest has a few frights of its own, including:

Bearodactyls—so terrifying we can't even show you pictures of them
Princess Zogette, the Monster King's toad-faced daughter, who falls for Charles Nukid . . . hard
Captain Pigbeard, fearsome leader of the Monster-Pirates and Princess Zogette's fiancÉ (well, former fiancÉ, thanks to Charles)
And when Zogette follows Charles to Scary School, the Monster King and Captain Pigbeard raise their armies and chase after her. But the monsters have no idea who—or what—they're dealing with.

In this clever, funny sequel to the frighteningly hilarious Scary School, Charles, Penny Possum, Dr. Dragonbreath, and all the students and teachers prove that scary monsters are no match for Scary School!


-Summary from Goodreads
Purchase: Mrs. Nelson's (yeah indie stores!)||Barnes&Noble||Amazon||Book Depository

A hilarious, thrilling ride of a story, Scary School: Monsters on the March proves once again why, despite the "cool stuff that's not real," as my brother Roark would say, the awesomeness of this book is real.

Monsters on the March begins in the school year following the first book in the series, Scary School, which my brother and I have reviewed here. While the first book was entertaining, the second book had Roark flipping through the pages like a madman. We were on vacation, and that was the only book he brought. Thus, he read it at least five times in that one week. And he didn't get tired of it at all! Which, I think, goes to show that this book is truly a great and addicting MG (Middle Grade) series. I'm not a kid anymore, but my brother still is, and his honest laughter as he reads the story is both nailing the point that MG is as much of a scary ride as ever and the portrayal of how kids his age would perceive the book--whooping hysterically, of course.

In general, I think, Monsters on the March is comparable to a joystick. It's sort of got that choose-your-own-adventure style with its many twists and bends, but it's also ultimately a story that crosses mazes, battles monsters, and in the end finds the player--or reader, in this case--both a winner and a loser in a satisfied heap. Although my brain is smeared with YA (Young Adult), this burst of MG is refreshing and captivating to say the least.

Overall, if the movies Paranorman or Hotel Transylvania seem like your type of thing, then this book is sure to become a classical and familial favorite.
The Reviews News

Sunday, August 5, 2012

How to Save a Heart

Over You
By: Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus
Reported by: Julianna Helms
Source: ARC via Tour
Release Date: Aug. 21st, 2012 from HarperTeen/HarperCollins

After the grand explosion of her relationship, seventeen-year-old Max Scott developed what every girl in the history of the world has been waiting for: a way to get over being dumped. Now Max is the go-to guru for heartbroken high-school girls all over NYC. But when her ex unexpectedly shows up in her neighborhood, Max’s carefully controlled world starts to unravel. With her clients’ hearts hanging in the balance, Max will have to do the seemingly impossible: get over him once and for all.

Brilliant at bringing humor to the trials and tribulations of the lovestruck, #1 New York Times bestselling authors Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus have crafted a tale that will resonate with any girl who has ever been in love or had her heart broken. It brims with smart observations, features a pitch-perfect teen voice, and will attract fans of Jenny Han, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Barnholdt. Readers are sure to fall head-over-heels for this sharp spin on breaking up, making up, and getting even.


-Summary from Goodreads
Pre-order: Mrs.Nelson's (indie stores unite!)||Barnes&Noble||Amazon||Book Depository

A startlingly lovely, delicately beautiful story of love and heartbreak--and the strength to survive both--Over You is perfect for those who don't date, are in relationships, or just got out of one.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Can you SURVIVE this awesomeness?

Survive
By: Alex Morel
Reported by: Julianna Helms
Source: ARC via Tour
Release Date: August 2nd, 2012 from Razorbill/Penguin

Hatchet meets Lost in this modern-day adventure tale of one girl's reawakening

Jane is on a plane on her way home to Montclair, New Jersey, from a mental hospital. She is about to kill herself. Just before she can swallow a lethal dose of pills, the plane hits turbulence and everything goes black. Jane wakes up amidst piles of wreckage and charred bodies on a snowy mountaintop. There is only one other survivor: a boy named Paul, who inspires Jane to want to fight for her life for the first time.

Jane and Paul scale icy slopes and huddle together for warmth at night, forging an intense emotional bond. But the wilderness is a vast and lethal force, and only one of them will survive.


-Summary from Goodreads
Purchase: Mrs. Nelson's(indie bookstores FTW!)||Barnes&Noble||Amazon||Book Depository

Survive is a story churning with darkness and ice, cold and familiar all at once.

In the beginning of the story, Jane wanted to die, and I was angry. Perhaps I should've felt sad, sympathizing. But the truth is, I felt a rage storm and only a single drop of empathy.

The brief explanation is this: I am usually understanding of suicidal thoughts--despite the fact that I wish no one ever suffered from them--but Jane wanted to die because suicide runs in her family. She repeats this throughout the beginning and I find that an irritating, humiliating thing. Her father killed himself and now she wants to, too. That's no real reason at all.

Therefore, you can imagine my surprise when I closed the book, heaved a sigh, and realized that what I felt was not despise and resentment and instead a hole empty and heavy.


Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Dancing in the Storm

Stormdancer
By: Jay Kristoff
Reported by: Julianna Helms
Source: ARC from Goodreads & publisher
Release date: September 18, 2012 via Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press

A DYING LAND
The Shima Imperium verges on the brink of environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST
The hunters of Shima's imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger – a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.

A HIDDEN GIFT
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that if discovered, would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.


-Summary from Goodreads
Pre-order: Mrs. Nelson's (support my local indie store!)||Barnes&Noble||Amazon||Book Depository

There is a sky, bloody and pungent with fever. It is so red it drips so black it smothers. It rips savagely but softly, like the teeth of an animal biting a strip of meat. Imagine this. Then imagine a girl armored in leather-like fierceness and a griffin shrilling and clawing with the fervor of anger and loss, punched in deeper than a blow and scars longer than a lifetime. 

In Stormdancer there is desperation edging anger and loss, and there is something very, very fierce, the face of defiance and cracking facades. That is this epic and this epic is phenomenal in every color and word.

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